When you use me, you only ever see what I have become instead of what I really am.

I can be used to do powerful things, but I can be very fragile at my core.

Through time, I have changed lives!

Unfortunately some choose to hate me, and others choose to embrace me.

I am used around the world in many different ways.

My family is huge, and yet still getting bigger.

It is important not to forget about my elders, as they are still needed (by some).

Do you know what I am?

Hint:

You can look at me, but not touch.

Hint #2:

I'm not as old as world war 1.

Hint #3:

Some that have 'used' me, are now amongst the richest people in the world!

I apologize for not adding the second hint into the original riddle. This would have helped greatly reduce the scope. (I wasn't expecting for some answers to be so similar in description but not the same answer)

(Make sure your answer can fit every line)

I have tried to keep this one more broad to make it a little more difficult. If necessary I can give some hints later, but I think someone will be smart enough to solve it before that. :)

[It seems keeping it broad was not such a great idea]

Spoiler!! This will almost certainly give the answer away! Only look at if you gave up and would like to know:

stackoverflow.com/

My apologizes on this riddle as it was not executed as well as I would have liked, but hopefully some people enjoyed it (and maybe got stumped). It was difficult for me to give effective hints/help without just giving out the answer.

$\begingroup$This seems extremely broad but I've added one which I think covers them all perfectly. we'll see if others come up with other solutions but i think there will be many so be warned.$\endgroup$
– VincentApr 24 '15 at 20:30

1

$\begingroup$I guess I can add a few more lines to it if it seem extremely broad :P$\endgroup$
– Mark NApr 24 '15 at 20:32

$\begingroup$How can you use something without touching it? you don't have to answer that since it's probably a vital part in the puzzle (but i'm just pointing it out)$\endgroup$
– VincentApr 24 '15 at 21:04

$\begingroup$@VincentAdvocaat I'll answer your question with an example: Electricity. We all use it but don't touch it when we do (hopefully :p)$\endgroup$
– Mark NApr 24 '15 at 22:13

When you use me, you only ever see what I have become instead of what I really am.

Scientific theories aren't the same thing as their applications. People learn about scientific theories in relation to their applications.

I can be used to do powerful things, but I can be very fragile at my core.

Scientific theories have led to incredible achievements, but every scientific theory is subject to question and just one single piece of evidence can invalidate an entire theory.

Through time, I have changed lives!

This is pretty much self-explanatory.

Unfortunately some choose to hate me, and others choose to embrace me.

There is a large anti-science movement in the world, while other people take science and scientific theory as the key part of their worldview.

I am used around the world in many different ways.

Another one that is self-explanatory.

My family is huge, and yet still getting bigger.

There are many scientific theories, and more are being formulated/discovered all of the time.

It is important not to forget about my elders, as they still needed (by some)

Older scientific theories are generally simpler, and thus easier for educational purposes. We still learn of various outdated and invalidated models for various things (such as the structure of an atom). While the real applications use the newer theories, older ones are still used where they're accurate enough for general purposes.

You can look at me, but not touch.

Scientific theories can be shown to a person, but they're not physical things, and thus cannot be touched.

When you use me, you only ever see what I have become instead of what I really am.

If you use a smart phone you see many things, often a small gaming device but it used to be and is in essence a phone

I can be used to do powerful things, but I can be very fragile at my core.

you can do powerful calculation with a smartphone, as a matter of fact it is more powerful than the computers NASA used to send the Apollo missions. A smartphone (just like a computer) uses CPU cores.

Through time, I have changed lives!

A smartphone (or normal phone) saved lives (calling emergency services) and it changed many because everything became easier.

Unfortunately some choose to hate me, and others choose to embrace me.

Many people hate Iphones, some love them. but in a broader sense some people find mobile phones (smartphones) are ruining people's socials skills, others accept it.

I am used around the world in many different ways.

well a smartphone has many different applications.

My family is huge, and yet still getting bigger.

iPhone 3G, 3GS, 4, 4S, 5, 5S, 6 are all part of the family.

It is important not to forget about my elders, as they still needed (by some).

People still use older iPhones (with different sizes and older iOS versions), so app developers need to keep that in mind.

I would like to thank Pacoverflow for his additions for the last 2 sentences.

As for the hint:

if you have siri you can look at your phone but you do not have to touch it to use it, you talk to it. <- ye this one doesn't fit 100% xD

An other answer:

a woman. bear with me here.

When you use me, you only ever see what I have become instead of what I really am.

Haha use :P well if you 'use' a woman she becomes an object instead of the person she really is.

I can be used to do powerful things, but I can be very fragile at my core.

Woman (love) are a power to be reckoned with but at their core woman are fragile and precious.

Through time, I have changed lives!

every great man (in history) has had a woman supporting him, isn't that how it goes? A woman can often change a man's live.

Unfortunately some choose to hate me, and others choose to embrace me.

Some hate woman (many women hate other women), some hat them because of their beliefs (in the bible a woman was tempted to take the forbidden fruit). Do i even need to explain the embrace part? ;) if you know what i mean.

I am used around the world in many different ways.

women are very versatile, they are used as babysitter, businesswoman, teacher (etc)

My family is huge, and yet still getting bigger.

well obviously any person's family is big, we're descendants of millions and still continue to grow (childbirth)

It is important not to forget about my elders, as they still needed (by some).

parents are the reason we are all here, they are also still needed for love and attention. (also to watch over the grand kids).

As for the hint:

you can look at other woman (which you are not married/engaged/in a relation ship with) but you can most definitely not touch

$\begingroup$I have updated the question. The last line might not be as easy to fit ;)$\endgroup$
– Mark NApr 24 '15 at 20:50

$\begingroup$Hm you might want to add some hints soon @MarkN, as Vincent's answer does fit with everyline? I'm going to answer computer, which I think it would be the same thing.$\endgroup$
– AlexApr 24 '15 at 20:53

$\begingroup$@Alex I posted this answer before Mark added the last 2 lines to his riddle, working on that now, though i'm tired so i'll see how far i'll get.$\endgroup$
– VincentApr 24 '15 at 20:54

$\begingroup$@MarkN I'd say his answer still fits. iPhone, iPhone 3G, 3GS, 4, 4S, 5, 5S, 6 are all part of the family. People still use older iPhones (with different sizes and older iOS versions), so app developers need to keep that in mind.$\endgroup$
– pacoverflowApr 24 '15 at 20:58

$\begingroup$I added a hint. It's difficult for me to add more hints without just making it obvious :p$\endgroup$
– Mark NApr 24 '15 at 21:00

When you use me, you only ever see what I have become instead of what I really am.

Democracy, like every type of system of government, can't be literally applied. You can get close to it, but never have a pure democracy. The most famous not applicable government system is pure socialism, which is utopian

I can be used to do powerful things, but I can be very fragile at my core.

Democracy is widely known as the best type of government, and indeed it is, giving people the power. But if the core, the parliament, is rotten, with corruption and hypocrisy, everything falls apart.

Through time, I have changed lives!

Well, this is obvious.

Unfortunately some choose to hate me, and others choose to embrace me.

Dictatorships and oligarchy exists all over the world, exactly as democracy itself.

Nuclear power. It's a little farfetched, I know, but you can't actually see the nuclear reaction happening, as described in the first line, and nuclear power is very strong, but also fragile, or unstable. Some people don't like the use of nuclear power, and some do. You can use it to make bombs, or power homes, and people are still developing nuclear power.

In fact, you use and see the skeleton, not the living creature. It's used to make jewels and talismans (symbols of power), but it's fragile. Many different organisms live in a coral during its formation. Some love it and wear it (embrace), those actually hate it since they destroy a delicate fauna. Coral is around the world in the forms of bracelets and necklaces.